Dearly loved friends,
With indignation and anguish the Baha'is of the world, over
the past three years, have received continuously tragic news of the sufferings
and martyrdoms of their brethren in Iran, where a reign of relentless terror is
now encompassing that long-abused and downtrodden community. The inhuman
cruelties heaped on the followers of the Most Great Name -- worthy descendants
of their forebears, the Dawn-Breakers -- in that land where the heroes and
martyrs of the Faith have shed such lustre on their generations, are increasing
daily. We have seen how the House of the Báb in Shiraz and Baha'u'llah's
ancestral home in Takur have been demolished, all Baha'i endowments, including
our Holy Places, have been seized, and the main financial assets of the
community sequestered. We have seen with what callousness Baha'i children have
been refused admission to schools, Baha'i employees dismissed from government
positions, and the essential human rights of the sorely tried Baha'is violated,
their means of livelihood undermined or destroyed, their homes plundered, their
properties confiscated, their very lives snuffed out.
Contemplating the history of the persecution of the Baha'is
of Iran, we note an alarming acceleration in the degree of blatancy with which
the traditional enemies of the Faith pursue their single purpose of extirpating
the Faith in the land of its birth. In the past, with the exception of a few
specific instances, the persecution of the members of the Baha'i community by
those traditionally inimical to the Faith, was random and sporadic, resulting
from the incitement of easily aroused mobs to attack the lives and properties
of the Baha'is.
Now the enemies of God's precious Cause who, as they
themselves attest, have in the past twenty-five years organized themselves to
counteract the influence of the Faith, to vilify and misrepresent its purpose
and teachings, to inflame religious passions leading to the harassment and
intimidation of the believers, to sow seeds of doubt among the friends and
sympathizers, have infiltrated the ranks of officialdom, where, from this more
advantageous position, they continue to instigate the persecution of the
Baha'is. The incidence of violation of the rights of the Baha'is is thus
becoming more frequent as is well evidenced by reports published in the press
of Iran in recent months. Examples
abound. For instance, formerly when
Baha'is were arrested they were given an opportunity to defend themselves in
some form of judicial proceedings held for the sake of appearances. On one occasion part of the proceedings which
resulted in the execution of seven believers in Yazd, as late as September
1980, was televised. But recently the court proceedings, if any, have been held
in camera, [In private, secretly] and reports have even been received of the
torture of Baha'is before their execution. No longer are the relatives of
imprisoned Baha'is permitted to visit them, as they were until recently; no
longer are the condemned permitted to solace their families with letters of
farewell or the making of wills before their execution; and, more tragically,
disturbed by the large number of Baha'is and sympathetic people of other
religions who attended the funeral services of the slain Baha'is, the
authorities have now seized the Baha'i cemetery in Tihran and do not permit
burial there. Indeed, the families of those most recently martyred were not
even notified of the secret execution of their loved ones, whose bodies,
unceremoniously deposited in graves for "infidels," were only fortuitously
discovered.
Although the oppressors maintain that they are killing the
Baha'is because they are guilty of serving as political agents and spies, it
has been ascertained that in almost every instance of execution, the accused
Baha'i was offered recantation as a means of release.
The inveterate enemies of the Faith imagine that their
persecutions will disrupt the foundations of the Faith and tarnish its glory.
Alas! Alas for their ignorance and folly!
These acts of oppression, far from weakening the resolve of the friends,
have always served to inflame their zeal and galvanize their beings. In the words of 'Abdu'l- Baha, "... they
thought that violence and interference would cause extinction and silence and
lead to suppression and oblivion, whereas interference in matters of conscience
causes stability and firmness and attracts the attention of men's sight and
souls, which fact has received experimental proof many times and often."
Every drop of blood shed by the valiant martyrs, every sigh
heaved by the silent victims of oppression, every supplication for divine
assistance offered by the faithful, has released, and will continue
mysteriously to release, forces over which no antagonist of the Faith has any
control, and which, as marshalled by an All-Watchful Providence, have served to
noise abroad the name and fame of the Faith to the masses of humanity in all
continents, millions of whom had previously been totally ignorant of the
existence of the Faith or had but a superficial, and oft-times erroneous,
understanding of its teachings and history.
The current persecution has resulted in bringing the name
and character of our beloved Faith to the attention of the world as never
before in its history. As a direct result of the protests sent by the
world-wide community of the Most Great Name to the rulers in Iran, of the
representations made to the media when those protests were ignored, of direct
approach by Baha'i institutions at national and international levels to
governments, communities of nations, international agencies and the United
Nations itself, the Faith of Baha'u'llah has not only been given sympathetic
attention in the world's councils, but also its merits and violated rights have
been discussed and resolutions of protest sent to the Iranian authorities by
sovereign governments, singly and in unison. The world's leading newspapers,
followed by the local press, have presented sympathetic accounts of the Faith
to millions of readers, while television and radio stations are increasingly making
the persecutions in Iran the subject of their programmes. Commercial publishing
houses are beginning to commission books about the Faith.
But in spite of this great wave of publicity now bringing
the name of the Faith to the attention of large masses of mankind, and in spite
of the many representations made to the authorities in Iran, the persecution of
the Baha'is there continues. The world stands helpless before the
imperviousness of that country to outside opinion or criticism. In face of this
tragic impasse we can only redouble our efforts to teach the Cause, taking
advantage of the increasing interest in the character and principles of our
beloved Faith created by the sufferings of the Persian community.
Indeed, this new wave of persecution sweeping the Cradle of
the Faith may well be seen as a blessing in disguise, a "providence"
whose "calamity" is, as always, borne heroically by the beloved
Persian community. It may be regarded as the latest move in God's Major Plan,
another trumpet blast to awaken the heedless from their slumber and a golden
opportunity offered to the Baha'is to demonstrate once again their unity and
fellowship before the eyes of a declining and skeptical world, to proclaim with
full force the Message of Baha'u'llah to high and low alike, to establish the
reverence of our Faith for Islam and its Prophet, to assert the principles of
non-interference in political activities and obedience to government which
stand at the very core of our Faith, and to provide comfort and solace to the
breasts of the serene sufferers and steadfast heroes in the forefront of a
persecuted community. Our motto in these days of world-encircling gloom should
be the Words of God addressed to the Blessed Beauty Himself. "When the
swords flash, go forward! When the shafts fly, press onward!"
Future historians will have to assess the impact of this
crisis on the onward march of a triumphant Faith. A detailed list of the steps
that have already been taken by the Baha'is of the world during the past three
years is attached for the study of the friends.
Our fervent prayers are offered most ardently at the Holy
Shrines for the blessings of Baha'u'llah to surround His lovers and loved ones
in every land, and to assist and confirm them as they face with certitude and
confidence the challenges of the future.
With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)
Summary of Actions Taken by the Baha'i International
Community, National and Local Baha'i Institutions Governments, Non-Baha'i
Organizations and Prominent People in Connection with the Persecution of the
Baha'is of Iran
The Baha'i International Community
- Issued official statements to the press;
- kept the Secretary-general and appropriate offices of the United Nations apprised of developments as they occurred;
- cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini, the President and Prime Minister of Iran, and the President of the Iranian Supreme Court, urging their intervention and refuting accusations made against the Faith;
- prepared materials and made statements in connection with the adoption of resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, the European Parliament, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
- made statements at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the Question of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances;
- contacted the Iranian representative to the United Nations in New York in order to repudiate falsehoods made about the Faith and provide him with the true facts; and
- prepared the "White Paper" and "Update" and arranged for their translation in three languages, the "Chronological Summary of Individual Acts of Persecution in Iran," and other documents for submission to high- ranking officials, government and United Nations offices, and world-wide distribution to National Spiritual Assemblies.
- National Assemblies throughout the world cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini on four occasions, the Prime Minister and Head of the Iranian Supreme Court three times each, and the Secretary of the Revolutionary Council of Iran once.
- 118 National Spiritual Assemblies cabled the Secretary-general of the United Nations, as did thousands of Local Assemblies, Baha'i groups and isolated centres. It was estimated that some 10-15,000 cables reached him, protesting the execution of seven Baha'is in Hamadan.
- Over 10,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini, urging his intervention regarding the expropriation of Baha'i properties in Iran.
- Most National Assemblies contacted by letter or delegation, or sent cables to their respective Iranian Embassy or Consulate, on five occasions and kept their government officials continually informed of developments.
- Selected National Assemblies cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini, the President and the Prime Minister of Iran, and the Secretary of the Revolutionary Council on several occasions. They also cabled or contacted their respective Iranian Embassy or Consulate at least eleven times; approached humanitarian, business or professional organizations; and were in constant touch with government offices and the media.
- A large number of National Assemblies pursued a well-organized campaign of approaching the mass media, providing them with accurate information about the Faith and refuting false accusations made by enemies of the Cause. As a result, an unprecedented volume of publicity occurred in leading newspapers and periodicals throughout the world, as well as in newspapers having modest circulations. Well-known journalists wrote articles, some of which were distributed through international news agencies. Interviews were held with families of the martyrs, individual Baha'is wrote letters to editors of newspapers, and many radio and television programmes were aired, including "Iran's Secret Pogrom" on W5 TV in Canada, and "Day One" and "John Craven's Newsround" on BBCl TV.
- Many National Assemblies contacted immigration authorities and appropriate government offices in efforts to assist the displaced Iranian Baha'is in extending their visas and obtaining work permits and travel documents. They established special committees to work specifically to assist the Iranian friends, and they set up Persian Relief Funds on a national scale to aid deserving cases. The National Assemblies of Australia and Canada worked out with their respective immigration offices procedures whereby the process of immigration by Iranian Baha'is would be facilitated.
Resolutions adopted by various governments on behalf of the
Baha'is in Iran
- Canadian Parliament (2)
- House of Representatives, Australia
- Senate, Australia
- German Federal Parliament
- A meeting held in a committee room of the House of Commons, United Kingdom
- United Nations General Assembly, Third Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance
- United Nations Sub-commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Commission on Human Rights (2)
- European Parliament (2)
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2)
- House of Representatives of the State of Alaska, USA.
- House of Representatives, State of Illinois, USA.
- International Association for Religious Freedom
To name just a few
- Prime Minister's Office of the United Kingdom
- President Mitterrand of France
- Offices of the King and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium
- President and Minister of Cultural Affairs of Luxembourg
- All three parliamentary parties in Luxembourg
- Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher of Germany
- Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India
- 148 Out of 150 Members of Parliament in the Netherlands
- Swiss Parliamentarians
- Western Samoan Government
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australia
- Governor of the Hawaiian Islands, USA.
- Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Some Non-Baha'i Individuals and Organizations that Issued
Statements, Letters, Cables, or Press Releases
- Human Rights Commission of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Switzerland
- Amnesty International
- Trinidad and Tobago Bureau on Human Rights
- Former Chief Justice, India
- Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
- Pacific Conference of Churches
- 13 Heads of Colleges in Oxford, U.K.
- The Master, Balliol College, Oxford, England
- Iran Committee for Democratic Action and Human Rights (based in the United States)
- Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (based in France)
- A large number of Senators and Congressmen of the United States
